Peress



(No Model.)

R. D. BUCKINGHAM.

ROAD UART.

Patented Jan. 81, 1888.

llllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll| ll l I I Unirse Sterns ATBNT REUBEN D. BUCKINGIIAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDVARD F. CRAGIN, OF SAME PLACE.'

ROAD-CART.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,061, dated January 31, 1888.

Application tiled August 3, 1887. Serial No. 2116,01'2. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN D. Boortme- HAn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rozul-Carts,which is fully set forth inthe following` specification, refcrcncebeinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a plan view of a roadcart embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the same, taken on the line l l of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a detail view ofthe seat-supporting spring, and Fig. eaplan view of the same.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the iig ures of the drawings.

My invention relates to roadcarts and other like two-wheeled vehicles, and more particu. larly to that class in which the seat-supportsarc connected at their front ends to the shafts by means of a flexible connection, and suspended at a point in the rear of this connection from a spring` attached to a cross-bar or cross-bars.

The object of mypresent invention is to provide a construction whereby the parts may be rendered more compact and a spring of less stiffness employed without in any way sacrificing the easy-riding character of the vehicle; and to these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the drawings, in which I have shown a construction in which my invention is practically carried ont in one way, A represents the axle of the road-cart, B the wheels thereof, and C the shafts, secured to the axle and eX- tending upward and then forward therefrom. Cross-bars D serve to connect and brace the shafts, these cross-bars being preferably reversely curved, as shown, and connected back to back by means of bolts d, or in any other suitable manner. Ofcourseany otherapproved form of cross-bar, either double or single, may be substituted for the form shown.

E represents the seat, the supporting-bars F of which are connected at their forward ends to the shafts Cby ieXible connections. In the present instance springs f are employed for this purpose, although hinges or any other form of flexible connection may be used.

G represents the suspension -spring, from which the seat supports F are suspended. This spring is secured to the cross-bars D, its central portion being somewhat flattened, as shown at g, and perforated to receive the bolt II, which passes up through the spring, crossbars, and whiiflctree I, of which latter it forms the pivot-bolt.

H represents a clip surrounding the crossbars D and spring G, its upper member, h, being of an inverted-U shape and its lower member being a cross-plate, L, secured by screw-bolts h2, as well as by the bolt H. rlhe spring G cui'ves slightly downward and then upward in each direction from its center, and is also curved to the rear in each direction, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 4 of the drawings. Its free ends are cach provided with an eye, g, to receive a link, G', which is connected to the corresponding seatsupport, F, by means of a clip, F.

It will be observed that the seat-supports are connected to the under side of the shafts, and that they extend rearward under the crossbars D and spring G, from which latter they are suspended. By reason of this construction the spring G absorbs the vibrations and renders the seat easy riding and comfortable, while at the same time the said spring furnishes a foot-rest which will be free from jarring.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to attach a spring to the under side ef the cross-bar and to suspend the scat-supports from the free ends of said spring, such a construction being shown in Letters Patent No. 259,912, granted March 22,1887,t0 Vhittaker. In this construction, however, the spring eX- tends straight across the cart and does not curve rearwardly, as in the case of the construction hereinbefore described. Theadvantages attendant upon this curvature of the spring are increased compactness and the employment of a lighter spring, for the following reasons: If the spring were straight, its ends would be connected to the seat-supports at a point much nearer the forward ends thereof, and the increased leverage thus given to the weight of the person occupying the seat by reason of the distance from the seat to these points of attachment would necessitate the use of a considerably stronger and stiffer spring in IOO order .to properly support the same. IThis would render the riding motion jerky and would entail an increased cost. In order to yremedy this the seat-supports would have to be made longer and attached farther forward on the shafts, or else the cross-bars and seat would have to be brought closer to each other. Either of these expedients would be undesirable, for obvious reasons. By the curvature of the spring, as set forth, I overcome these disadvantages and am enabled to properly proportion the arrangement of the several parts so as to gain a maximum of eompactness and convenience without in any way sacrificing the easy-riding qualities of the cart, while at the same time I am enabled to employ a lighter and at the same time a cheaper and easieracting spring.

It isv obvious that various modifications in the details of construction may be made without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is-

l. In a road-cart, the combination, with the axle, the shafts secured thereto, and a crossbar or cross-bars connecting the same, of the suspensionspring attached to the cross-bar or .Cross-bars at its center and curving rearward in each direction from said center, the seat, and the seat-supports connected to the shafts at their front ends by means of a ilexible connection and suspended from the free ends of the spring at a point in the rear of the crossbar or cross-bars, substantially as and for the purposes specified. n

2. In a road-cart, the combination, with the axle, of the shafts attached thereto, a cross-bar or crossbars connecting the shafts, a spring attached at its center to said cross-bar or crossbars and curving rearward in each direction from its point ofattachment, and also curving first downward and then upward on each side y of its said point of attachment, theseat, and

the seat-supports connected to the shafts at their front ends by a eXible connection and suspended from the free ends of the spring at a point in the rear of the cross-bar or crossbars, substantially as aud for the purposes specified.

REUBEN D. BUCKINGHAM. Witnesses:

ORsoN H. BROOKE, IRVINE MILLER.' 

